April 5th

April 5th -- 2 Samuel 11 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2011&version=NLT)

David and Bathsheba ; David arranges for Uriah's death

So spring one year cones and David sends his armies out but he stays behind. One evening, David gets up and goes for a walk on his rooftop. As he's looking out over the city, he sees an incredibly beautiful woman bathing (in that time people would bathe on their roofs for privacy, but the king's roof was higher than any other so he could see across them). He finds out she is Bathsheba and married to Uriah. Yet, he still sends messengers for her, brings her to his palace, and spends the night with her. He sends her home after that... but she's pregnant so she comes back. David realizes he can't have Uriah finding out, so he tries instead to mask what happened and pass of the child as Uriah's. He calls Uriah from battle and tells him to "Go on home and relax", hoping Uriah will sleep with his wife so they can pass of the child as Uriah's. However, Uriah spends the night at the castle entrance. Upon being asked why he did not go home, he said he could not do that while knowing the rest of his army is out in tents in fields. David manages to get Uriah to stay another day, yet Uriah still refuses to go home that night.

David becomes desperate, since his first plan is not working. He comes up with a new plan... he has a message sent to Joab (leading the armies at the time) saying to put Uriah on the front lines, then pull everyone else back, so Uriah will be killed. Joab does as told. David receives the report later that Uriah was, indeed, killed. When Bathsheba hears of her husband's death, she mourns for him. When her mourning period is over (likely a full year back then) David brings her to the palace and marries her. She gives birth to their son later, but God is displeased with David for what he had done.

I think this is a great example of what not to do. Don't knowingly do wrong, to being with. That's just silly when you know it's wrong and know that you cannot hide it from God. If you do, don't try and hide it and cover it up. We are supposed to be honest. We are also supposed to apologize and ask forgiveness and though we normally think we only need it from God, we are also meant to ask it of anyone we have wronged. In David's case he should have asked the forgiveness of Uriah (as well as Bathsheba, because that night was likely more like rape than anything, however everyone has to obey the king, so his word went and it happened). Also, don't do another wrong to try and cover up the first. David kills Uriah  to cover up his sin of sleeping with Bathsheba. Now he has not only the guilt of sleeping with another man's wife on his hands, but also the guilt of murder, and yet another sin to add to his list.

Also, another thing I notice is that a lot of times we seem to wonder why God lets it happen. We wonder why God doesn't just speak to Moses or warn Uriah or tell Joab not to listen to the message. Things would work better if He had intervened, we think. Yet, God still knew of all that had happened, and He was, indeed, displeased. Yet, He left David to make his own choices. Sometimes when we know we're doing wrong and God doesn't seem to put his foot down, it doesn't mean God's turning a blind eye or that He's letting us get away with it this time. Rather, it means that though we break His heart with each wrong action, He is watching to let us learn from the later punishment. Don't push the boundaries. When you know you've done wrong, admit it, apologize, and ask forgiveness from whomever it needs to be asked of. Don't cover it up and let it cause more wrong.

Well, that's all! God bless! Shalom!